1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a structure for engaging and releasing connectors for transmitting a control signal of an electric equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some examples of a connector having a flat circuit body are disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Hei 1-111478 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-63718. An example of a connector having a locking lever for maintaining a state of engagement of the connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-164295.
As shown in FIG. 10, according to the invention disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Hei 1-111478, a flat circuit body 151 can be reliably inserted into a direct mounted connector 155 mounted directly on a circuit board 156.
The flat circuit body 151 has a plurality of wiring conductor 151a arranged on a flexible insulating sheet 151b made of a synthetic resin. The flat circuit object 151 is attached to a reinforcing plate 152 as a hard and rigid plate-like member by such as an adhesive. The direct mounted connector 155 is for connecting electrically the flat circuit body 151 with an electronic circuit (not shown) formed on the circuit board 156.
When inserting the flat circuit body 151 in the direct mounted connector 155, by pinching a locking part 152a of the reinforcing plate 152 mounted at an end of the flat circuit body 151 with such as radio pliers (not shown), the end of the flat circuit body 151 is inserted into an opening (not shown) of the direct mounted connector 155. In this manner, The flat circuit body 151 can be inserted into the direct mounted connector 155 without receiving any damage.
As shown in FIG. 11, according to the invention disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-63718, a flat circuit body 131 is prevented from coming out by being temporarily held when inserted into a direct mounted connector 135 mounted directly on a circuit board 146. The flat circuit body 131 is attached to a reinforcing plate 132 by such as an adhesive.
The direct mounted connector 135 is composed of a housing 136 made of synthetic resin, a terminal 140 fitted in the housing 136, and a slider 145 for pushing the flat circuit body 131. A plurality of chambers 139 for accommodating terminals 140 are formed in the housing 136. A temporary maintaining part 138 is formed protruding to the chambers 139 at each side in a longitudinal direction of a top plate of the housing 136.
The terminal 140 is formed by bending a conductive substrate, and has a beam 141 at an attaching side and a beam 142 at a contacting side. A contacting point 143 for contacting the wiring conductor (not shown) of the flat circuit body 131 is formed at the beam 142 at the contacting side.
According to above, the flat circuit body 131 is pinched between the temporary maintaining part 138 and the terminal 140 to be prevented from accidentally coming out of the housing 136. Then, by pushing the slider 145 into the housing 136, the flat circuit body 131 is attached to the housing 136.
As shown in FIG. 12, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-164295 discloses a locking structure for maintaining a state of engagement of a pair of connectors 100, 120 being engaged with each other and a releasing structure for releasing the engaging.
A female connector 120 is in a substantially rectangular shape, having a female connector housing 121 with chambers 122 for accommodating terminals and male terminals (not shown) accommodated in the chambers 122. A hood part 123, into which a male connector 100 is inserted, is provided at a front 122 in an engaging direction of the chambers. A locking hole 124 for engaging with a locking projection 107 of the male connector 100 is mounted on an upper surface of the hood part 123.
The male connector 100 also is in a substantially rectangular shape like the female connector 120, having a male connector housing 101 with chambers 108 for accommodating terminals and female terminals (not shown) accommodated in chambers 108. The male connector housing 101 is formed substantially equivalent to, or slightly smaller than an inner space of the hood part 123 of the female connector 120.
A cantilever-shaped locking lever 103 is formed protruding from a center of the upper surface of the male connector 100, said the locking lever 103 being extended from forward to backward of an engaging direction. A base 104 of the locking lever 103 is continuous with an upper surface of the male connector 100. A free end 105 of the locking lever 103 is continuous with the base 104 and extended substantially parallel to the upper surface of the male connector 100. Therefore, the locking lever 103 is allowed to be resiliently deformed in a vertical direction.
The locking projection 107 is formed protruding upward from a center of the locking lever 103. The locking projection 107 has a inclined part 107a disposed forward and a locking surface 107b disposed backward, the locking surface 107b being continued to the inclined part 107a. 
A releasing part 110 is formed at a back end of the locking lever 103. The releasing part 110 is connected to a connecting part 111 extended upward from both right and left sides of the locking lever 103. By depressing the releasing part 110, the locking lever 103 is deformed to release the engagement between the locking hole 124 and the locking projection 107.
Moreover, a vertical wall 115 standing in a U-shape from a periphery of the releasing part 110 is provided vertically at an end of an upper surface of the male connector housing 101. An upper surface of the vertical wall 115 is formed higher than an upper surface of the releasing part 110 in a natural state where the locking lever 103 is not deformed. In this manner, the locking lever 103 is protected against an external force from outside the male connector 100 so as not to be accidentally deformed.
However, there are problems with these conventional connectors as described below.
First, according to the invention disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Hei 1-111478, workability of inserting the flat circuit body 151 into the direct mounted connector 155 is not good. Namely, the opening is formed on the direct mounted connector 155 into which the flat circuit body 151 is inserted, however, in a small place or an invisible place, the flat circuit body 151 cannot be positioned to the opening and cannot be easily inserted into the opening. If the insertion is failed, the wiring conductor 151a provided at the flat circuit body 151 may be damaged.
According to the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-63718, the flat circuit body 131 is pinched to be held between the temporary maintaining part 138 of the housing 136 and the contacting point 143 of the terminal 140, however, maintaining power is so weak that the flat circuit body 131 may come out of the housing 136 when the flat circuit body 131 is pulled. Moreover, because an interval between the temporary maintaining part 138 and the contacting point 143 is smaller than a thickness of the flat circuit body 131, the flat circuit body 131 is not smoothly inserted into the housing 136 with a small insertion force.
According to the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-164295, there is a problem that an operationality in releasing the engagement between the locking hole 124 and the locking projection 107 is not good. Namely, because the vertical wall 115 is formed continuous with the releasing part 110, there is little space so that a fingertip of an operator may not be inserted inside the vertical wall 115 smoothly to depress the releasing part 110. Such a problem will happen when the locking lever 103 and the 110 are small.
Moreover, in a case that the male connector 100 is miniaturized, because of a lack of strength in the vertical wall 115, the vertical wall 115 may be deformed by such as falling. Further, there is another problem that workability in engaging a pair of connectors 100, 120 is not good because it is difficult to catch hold of the male connector 100.
Further, when the locking lever 103 is resiliently deformed, there is a fear of deforming the base 104 plastically because stress concentrates on the base 104 as a root of the locking lever 103. In a cantilever-type locking structure, it is inevitable that the stress concentrates on the base 104 when bending the locking lever 103. Particularly when a projection length of the locking lever 103 is short, because it is difficult to bend such short locking lever 103, it is necessary to bend the locking lever 103 strongly, and the stress concentrating on the base 104 becomes larger, so that it becomes easier to deform the base 104. When the base 104 is slim, it also becomes easy to deform or damage the base 104 because bending stress concentrating on the base 104 becomes larger.
This invention has been accomplished to solve the problems and an object of this invention is to provide a structure for engaging and releasing connectors, whereby damage in the wiring conductor can be prevented when connecting the connectors, the flat circuit body can be easily and reliably inserted into a mating connector, can be accurately positioned, and can be prevented from coming off accidentally, the locking lever and the releasing part can be protected from external interference, the releasing part having a good operationality, the connectors are engaged with each other reliably, and the locking lever is prevented from being deformed at its base side.